The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-03-25


| to us il the slaves were to be free they
must be armed with the privileges Of
free men, and these were Sc
cured to them by the Constitutional
Amenments. The attempt to enforce
these rights by the national authorities
has thus far partially failed, and now it
is conceded that, under the limitation
of the Constitution, the rights of a citi-
zen of the State can only be enforced
through the State or national tribunals,
and where public opinion is intolor-
and jurors will not do their duty, the
without remedy for the grossest wrong.
except the vigor to migrate to where his
rights will be respected. Our institu-
tions are based upon the idea that such
denial of rights is impossible, and 1 trust
that the time is not far distant when the
people of every State will feel it beto both
just and expedient that every citizen of
the State be protected in free and equal
enjoyment of every right and privilege
conferred by the Constitution
of the United States. The Re
publican party is pledged to
this policy, and though it will use no
unconstitutional means to secure these
rights, it would be false to its principles
if it does not use all its moral and legal
power to that end. No wrong can be
done to the humblest citizen and no
right withheld without reacting upon
the community at large.
AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
Il was glad to hear in passing through
several Of the Southern States, conserve
tive citizens say that public sentiment
now revolts at unlawful methods to de
feat the free exercise of the equal rights
Of citizens that have been adopted in
several States and are still practiced in
what are known as the black counties
of the South. As long as such
methods are resorted to, there will
injustice to the injured parties and
those who practice such Offenses will in
the end suffer for it. Sectional feeling
will continue to exist as long as a large
masses Of people, whether poor or rich,
white or black, are denied their rights to
share in self government. 1t sets a bad
example which the criminal classes in
the North have, in some cases, adopted
to cheat at elections, as in Cincinnati two
years ago. 1t also produces inequality
of representation between the North and
South, and this keeps up the sectional
lines in party politics. 1t opens the way
to corruption and fraud which in time
destroys all pretense Of Republican gov
ernment.
SENATOR VEST QUOTED.
But there is another ground upon
which prefer to base my appeal to the
South for justice and fair play to the
African race. 1t was recently elo-
quently stated in debate by Senator
Vest, of Missouri, that: Il have nothing
to say to any man who thinks that 1,
to-day. would grind the African race out
of one cent. If any man in this world
has reason to be their friend / am that
man-raised with them, nursed by one
of them, an humble owner of them, as
inherited property, l never bought or
sold one for gain in my life. They are
docile, gentle, inoffensive race, and the
Southern man who would wrong them
deserves to be blotted from the roll Of
manhood. When our wives and chill
dren were in their hands during the war,
they acted so as to make every man in
the South their friend who had one par
ticle of manhood about him.
If this he so, as all history attests,
then we may appeal to the manly
spirit Of our own race to protect these
freedmen from the lawless injustice and
cruelty of all those Of our race who
may hereafter seek to deprive them of
their plain, Constitutional rights, either
by open force or by taking advantage
of their ignorance. II the kindly spirit
stated by Senator Vest is manifested,
the color line will disappear from
American politics, and we can then look
only to the safety. development and
power Of one great and united country.
The freedman, in the full enjoyment of
his rights, will divide between parties
as other citizens do, and his labor will
become a great factor in the wealth
and prosperity of the region in which
he lives. 1t has now contributed its
full share in building up with marvel
GUS rapidity the region have recently
traversed, and will be of infinitely
more value to the South than the heed
less and listless labor of the slaves in
olden times. Win these people by kind
ness and a just regard for their Consti-
utional lrights, and they will vote with
you and do their full share to make the
South rich, prosperous and happy.
SOUTHERN VIM AND ENERGY.
1 also wish to express in the strong
est language my admiration and
respect for the vim and energy with
which the South is graphing with the
new condition of labor and industry by
which they are surrounded, and the con-
fident belief that within single genera
ton your people will be more than repaid
for the value of your slaves by the re-
suits Of diversified industry and the
subdivision of land. The time will
come, and now seems near at hand,
when you and your children will re-
joice. not only that the slaves are free,
but that the Union has been preserved
and strengthened"
Senator Sherman then turned to the
discussion of those questions Of National
politics which alike affect all parts Of
the country, taxation, currency, public
credit, foreign and domestic commerce,
education and internal imDrOyements